Boosting Microbial Fuel Cell Performance with Tailored Copper Metal-Organic-Framework/Polyaniline Hybrid Electrodes

Low electrical conductivity limits electron transfer from microorganisms to the electrode in bioelectrochemical systems such as microbial fuel cells (MFCs), resulting in a lower power output. Therefore, modifying electrodes with advanced materials is in great demand to improve MFC performance. This study investigates a copper metal–organic framework (Cu-MOF) and its polyaniline composite (Cu-MOF/PANI) coated onto a graphite felt (GF) anode for use in MFC. X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analyses confirmed the successful synthesis and expected morphology of Cu-MOF and Cu-MOF/PANI. Electrochemical analyses showed that the modified anodes have lower charge-transfer resistance, higher electrical conductivity and capacitance. Furthermore, the MFCs with the Cu-MOF/PANI@GF and Cu-MOF@GF anodes achieved power densities of 133 mW·m –2 and 86 mW·m –2 , respectively, compared to only 33 mW·m –2 for the unmodified GF anode. The enhanced hydrophilicity associated with modified anode results in improved electrolyte contact and microbial colonization. These results indicate that advanced anode materials can significantly enhance MFC power density. This suggests that Cu-MOF and Cu-MOF/PANI promise new anode materials for MFCs.